PESHAWAR: Pakistan’s commerce ministry is poised to send a delegation to Kabul on Monday to discuss issues related to bilateral trade and take joint measures to remove hurdles faced by transporters and businesspeople on either side of the border between the two countries, officials confirmed.
The trade relations between both neighboring states have significantly deteriorated amid frequent border skirmishes and closure of key crossing points along their shared frontier. The disruptions have not only strained diplomatic ties but also inflicted heavy economic losses on both sides, particularly affecting trade-dependent communities and industries.
“Secretary Commerce Khurrum Agha will undertake a two-day visit to Afghanistan on Monday 25 March 2024 to discuss trade related matters,” Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, a spokesperson for the Pakistani foreign office, said in a statement on Sunday.
“Pakistan remains committed to promoting trade and people-to-people ties with Afghanistan.”
A senior official of the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), the country’s export promotion arm, said the visit was aimed at fostering trust and trade flow between the two countries.
“A senior level delegation, to be headed by secretary commerce will visit Kabul for confidence-building measures to foster trust and ensure smooth trade flow between the two neighbors,” Muhammad Zubair Motiwala, chief executive officer of TDAP, told Arab News.
The development comes days after Pakistan’s airstrikes against suspected militant hideouts in Afghanistan, amid already strained relations between the two neighbors.
“I hope the visit leads to bilateral cooperation between the two countries,” Motiwala said. “Both countries need to revisit their policies to simplify trade, ease restrictions and simplify transit at the border points.”
Speaking to Arab News, Akhundzada Abdul Salam Jawad, an Afghan commerce ministry spokesperson, confirmed the scheduled visit but accused Islamabad of complicating bilateral trade issues.
“Talks will focus on Pakistan’s unnecessary delay of goods’ trucks, red tapism in preparing documents for transit of heavy containers and Islamabad’s latest tightening of rules for Afghan truckers to get Pakistani visas,” he said.
A year ago, Jawad maintained, almost 1,500 to 2,000 trucks from Pakistan entered Afghanistan on a daily basis, but “undue restrictions by Pakistan’s border and trade authorities have made business nearly impossible by introducing new rules,” bringing down the number of Pakistani trucks to about 700.
The Afghan official said his country’s business with Iran through Chabahar Port had witnessed a huge boost due to the trade complications with Pakistan.
“We will discuss with Pakistani side either bureaucratic or infrastructural hurdles for trade and businesses at the border points with impediments and massive congestion, often closure and reopening of crossing points for trade, low scanning capacity, hurdles in trade movement such as transportation of perishable goods, which often result in massive financial losses to our businessmen,” he added.
Hajji Usman, a member of Nangarhar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the security issues between the two countries were also impeding a smooth flow of trade between them.
“Pakistan’s statements are always self-contradictory and I don’t think bilateral trade can move forward in the current state of affairs,” he told Arab News. “First, both countries need to restore confidence and pave ground for boosting trade.”
Aimal Khan, a president Pakistan Custom Clearing Agents at Torkham border crossing, said that business and movement was almost at a standstill due to the interference of institutions other than the customs department.
“Except for the customs department, authorities should ban the rest of the departments from interfering in the working of businesses in the border areas,” he maintained.
Khan said it was a positive development that the Pakistani commerce delegation wanted to discuss the modalities of the trade with Afghan officials to ease the situation for businesses on both sides of the frontier.
Pakistan commerce delegation to visit Kabul on Monday amid tense relations with Afghanistan
https://arab.news/2s8cy
Pakistan commerce delegation to visit Kabul on Monday amid tense relations with Afghanistan
- Pakistan’s trade relations with Afghanistan have deteriorated amid border skirmishes, closure of crossing points
- Afghan business community urges the two countries to sort out their security problems to ensure better trade ties
Pakistan to unveil Economic Survey 2024-25 on Monday
- The survey will include details about performance and trends of various sectors in outgoing fiscal year
- The survey will be followed by federal budget, which is expected to lay out targets for macroeconomic stability
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will unveil its Economic Survey 2024-25 tomorrow, Monday, and detail major socio-economic achievements of the outgoing fiscal year, Pakistani state media reported.
The survey will include details about performance and economic trends of various sectors, including agriculture, industry, services, energy, information technology and telecommunications, capital markets, health, education and transport.
Annual trends of major economic indicators regarding inflation, trade and payments, public debt, population, employment, climate change, and social protection will also be part of the survey.
“Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb will release the Economic Survey-2024-25 at a ceremony to be held in Islamabad,” the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
The survey will be followed by the presentation of the national budget. The earlier dates for the announcement of Economic Survey 2024-25 and federal Budget 2025-26 were June 1 and June 2, respectively, but the government extended the dates to June 6 and June 7.
Pakistan is currently bolstered by a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program and is navigating a long path to economic recovery. The country’s annual inflation rate rose to 3.5 percent in May, though its macroeconomic outlook has improved in recent months, supported by a stronger current account balance and increased remittances.
The Pakistani government says it remains committed to maintaining macroeconomic stability, accelerating structural reforms, and ensuring that economic growth translates into real and inclusive progress for all citizens.
Earlier this month, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal announced the government has allocated Rs1 trillion ($3.5 billion) for development projects in the upcoming budget for fiscal year 2025-26.
Pakistan to face off Myanmar in AFC Asian Cup qualifier on Tuesday
- The Pakistan team arrived in Yangon via private airline flight on Sunday
- Pakistan are placed in Group E alongside Myanmar, Afghanistan, and Syria
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will face off Myanmar on Tuesday to qualify for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup tournament, the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) said on Sunday.
The Pakistan team arrived in Yangon via private airline flight on Sunday, according to the PFF. They will train in Yangon on Monday.
“The match between Pakistan and Myanmar will be held at Thuwana Stadium,” it said. “It will start at 3:30 PM according to Pakistani time.”
Pakistan have been training under the supervision of head coach Stephen Constantine in hopes of bouncing back from a 2-0 defeat to Syria in the campaign opener back in March.
Pakistan are placed in Group E alongside Myanmar, Afghanistan, and Syria.
At least five injured as fire engulfs multiple factories in Pakistan’s Karachi
- The city, home to hundreds of thousands of industrial units, has fragile firefighting system and poor safety controls
- In November last year, a blaze erupted at a shopping mall killing around a dozen people and injuring several others
KARACHI: At least five persons were injured after a fire engulfed multiple factories in the southern Pakistani port city of Karachi, Rescue 1122 officials said on Sunday, with efforts underway to douse the blaze.
The fire affected four factories, including YG Textile and MF Roomi Textile, at the Landhi Export Processing Zone, with 11 fire brigade trucks and one snorkel taking part in the firefighting operation.
The operation was facing difficulties due to the intensity of smoke and shortage of water in the city of roughly 20 million people, according to rescue officials.
“Five people were injured after part of an affected building collapsed,” Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hasaan Khan told Arab News. “The injured were shifted to the hospital.”
The Rescue 1122 team is making efforts to control the blaze by utilizing all possible resources, Khan added.
Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city and commercial capital, is home to hundreds of thousands of industrial units and some of the tallest buildings in the South Asian country. The megapolis, known for its fragile firefighting system and poor safety controls, witnesses hundreds of fire incidents annually.
In Nov. last year, a blaze at a shopping mall killed around a dozen people and injured several others. In April 2023, four firefighters died and nearly a dozen others were injured after a blaze erupted at a garment factory, while 10 people were killed in a massive fire at a chemical factory in the city in August 2021.
In the deadliest such incident, 260 people were killed in 2012 after being trapped inside a garment factory when a fire broke out.
Volleyball returns to Azad Kashmir border village as fragile India-Pakistan ceasefire holds
- As guns fall silent in Battal sector, youth return to riverside ground with message of peace, memories of fallen friend
- Anwar Taskeen, 17-year-old student and regular at the matches, was killed in shelling hours before May 10 ceasefire
Battal Sector, Azad Kashmir: On a dusty, uneven patch of ground beside the Poonch River, the rhythmic thud of a volleyball hitting palms and sand rose above the late afternoon quiet.
It’s a familiar sound in the border village of Jhawara, located in the Poonch district of Azad Kashmir, the part of the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir that is governed by Pakistan. But until recently, it had fallen silent under the roar of artillery and gunfire.
Just weeks ago, the area bore the brunt of intense cross-border shelling between India and Pakistan. The Line of Control (LoC), a jagged and heavily militarized de facto boundary slicing through the disputed region, once again became a flashpoint for conflict, forcing families into hiding and pausing everyday joys like this daily volleyball match.
Now, with a tenuous ceasefire in place since May 10 — brokered with help from Washington — the boys are back on the field.
For them, the return to play is more than a pastime. It’s an act of defiance, remembrance, and quiet hope.
“There has been firing here before but now it doesn’t feel scary,” said Hamid Fareed, 18, as he waited to serve. “There is a ceasefire in place now, which is why we play with peace of mind. Before, when there used to be firing, we didn’t play here.”
The Battal sector, situated at one of the most sensitive stretches of the LoC, was at the heart of last month’s escalation, with the shelling so heavy residents were forced to evacuate, and even the simple joy of a volleyball match became too dangerous to risk.
Among those displaced were the families of the boys who now fill the field each evening from 4pm until the sunset maghrib prayer. Many had sought shelter with relatives in safer villages farther from the border during the latest fighting. Others, like Fareed, stayed behind but refrained from venturing out unnecessarily.
The violence still didn’t spare the players. Anwar Taskeen, a 17-year-old student and regular at the matches, was killed in shelling on his home just hours before the ceasefire was announced.
“Our brother who got martyred [on May 10, 2025] used to play volleyball with us,” said Muhammad Nawaz, one of Anwar’s closest friends. “He used to come every day.”
“When they [Indian forces] fire, they target civilians and army posts as well,” he added.
SYMBOL OF NORMALCY
Now that calm has returned, at least for the moment, the boys are determined to reclaim the ground and the normalcy it represents. Most days, they split into two teams of six, playing until darkness falls. Laughter, shouts, and the squeak of rubber slippers on hard soil fill the air.
But the volleyball field isn’t just a space for play. It’s also a space of memory.
Taskeen’s absence lingers. So too does the knowledge that peace here is often fleeting.
“There are beautiful places on that side, people should get to enjoy them. And people from there should be able to come here,” said Abdul Hannan, another student who recently completed his intermediate studies.
“Many people there [Indian-administered], in Jammu and Kashmir, play as well,” Hannan added. “We watch their videos to gain skills. They are playing better than us. We also get motivated by watching them.”
The boys recalled that some former players who used to compete on this very field had now moved abroad in search of better opportunities. From afar, many continued to support the volleyball tradition, pooling together funds to help maintain the ground.
Their latest contribution helped install a protective net, now in place for six to seven years, which keeps the ball from rolling into the river and drifting downstream toward the Indian side.
“WE JUST WANT PEACE”
The Poonch River marks both a border and a lifeline for the region. On hot days, the boys often dive into its cool waters to beat the heat, even as Indian army posts watch from across the bank.
That same river has seen far more than games but carried the sounds of shelling, the cries of displaced families, and now, the echoes of a volleyball match played in the name of peace.
During Ramadan and other special occasions, the field hosts semi-annual tournaments. Teams travel from neighboring towns and villages to compete, a reminder that even in a conflict zone, community and competition endure.
“When there is peace, we can play. That’s all we want,” Fareed saiid.
India and Pakistan have long shared a contentious relationship over Kashmir, with flare-ups along the LoC occurring frequently despite periodic agreements. The current ceasefire too is fragile, its future uncertain. But on this side of the Poonch River, young players are daring to imagine something more permanent — not through diplomacy, but through volleyball, through shared videos, playful rivalries, and quiet tributes to friends lost. And through simple, hopeful wishes — that one day, the people of Kashmir might cross the border not as enemies, but as guests.
“We just want peace,” Hannan repeated softly. “That’s all we’ve ever wanted.”
Pakistan-origin Mahnoor Qazi wins James Baldwin award for fiction
- The James Baldwin Award for Fiction is one of six creative writing awards given by Penguin Random House
- Qazi, whose entry ‘Eternity’ won $10,000 prize, aims to connect literature with the deepest human emotions
ISLAMABAD: Mahnoor Qazi, a Pakistani-origin high school student in the US state of California, has won the inaugural James Baldwin Award for Fiction, the organizers announced this week.
The James Baldwin Award for Fiction is one of six creative writing awards given by Penguin Random House, touted as the world’s largest trade book publisher, as part of their signature Creative Writing Awards (CWA) program. The award is named after Baldwin, a novelist, essayist, playwright, poet and critic.
Qazi, an aspiring writer who attends Golden Valley High School in California, is dedicated to connecting the art of literature with the deepest human emotions. Her entry ‘Eternity’ won the first-place prize of $10,000.
“As his niece, it has been an honor to select the recipient of the James Baldwin Award for fiction. Traveling the creative landscape of students with insightful narrative voices has been inspiring,” Baldwin’s niece Darlene Burnett said.
“They continue to demonstrate that the power of words can inform minds, fuel the imagination, and construct narratives that compel us to read and to feel. They are the literary architects of the future.”
Other categories included the Freedom of Expression Award, Michelle Obama Award for Memoir, the Amanda Gorman Award for Poetry, and the Maya Angelou Award for Spoken Word.
Since 1993, the Penguin Random House CWA program has awarded more than $2.9 million to public high school students for their original compositions.
In addition to scholarships, the publisher hosts a virtual development week for the CWA winners each summer that includes networking workshops, a panel about career opportunities in publishing, and fireside chats with Penguin Random House authors.
